Marx and Libbok end try-drought as Springboks star in Japan

WRAP: World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx helped second-placed Kubota Spears to shake off Shizuoka BlueRevs at Yamaha Stadium on Saturday.

The Springbok scored his first try of the season and set up a run of 21 unanswered points, which carried the visitors to a convincing 42-19 victory.

Shizuoka had drawn to within two points shortly after halftime when they were awarded a penalty try for a professional foul that saw flyhalf Bernard Foley ejected from the game for 10 minutes.

While the home side were unable to score in the Wallaby international’s absence, Shizuoka was made to pay when backrower Vueti Tupou was yellow carded for a similar offence eight minutes later, as the Marx try was quickly followed by one from fellow hooker Hayate Era, with the new arrival scoring a minute after taking the field to replace the South African star.

Spears skipper Faulua Makisi, who bagged a second half hattrick last week, bookended this contest with tries, the second making sure his side returned to Tokyo with maximum points achieved.

Just how significant the extra point was became clear as news filtered through of the league-leading Wild Knights being denied a bonus point from their 26-20 win over bottom side Toyota Verblitz, which closed Kubota to within a point of their rivals on the championship table.

While the win extended Saitama’s sequence against Verblitz to 10, the first nine were achieved at an average winning margin of 22 points.

Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars backrower Marino Makele-Tu’u was the toast of Kanagawa after scoring the hat-trick that helped his side to a morale-boosting 44-34 win over Mie Honda Heat.

Israel Folau was also in try-scoring form for Urayasu D-Rocks at Miyazaki, but the former Australian and Tongan international’s first tries of the season went unrewarded as Tokyo Sungoliath cemented their place in the top six with a comfortable 41-19 win.

Playing in only his third match for the year, Folau scored in the 33rd, 51st and 62nd minutes to complete just his second hat-trick since he arrived in Japan for the maiden season of League One, but Sungoliath were still unduly troubled, with All Black backrower Sam Cane and Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe among their six try-scorers in the bonus point-earning win.

Ricoh BlackRams Tokyo jumped into the top six after going back-to-back in the ‘Photocopy Derby’, courtesy of a
40-point second half that overwhelmed Yokohama Canon Eagles.

A thrilling end to the weekend saw Kobelco Kobe Steelers avenge last year’s hat-trick of defeats by Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in Japan Rugby League One… but it was close.

Despite rocketing to a 20-0 lead inside of the opening 30 minutes, the visitors had to fend off a furious comeback by the defending champions, eventually prevailing in a desperate finish, 34-33.

In Division Two, Manie Libbok bagged the first try of his Japanese sojourn as Hanazono Kintetsu Liners maintained their unbeaten record in a 50-38 win over Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex, although the Springbok flyhalf’s 17 points were overshadowed by the performance of visiting fullback Jude Gibbs.

The 24-year-old Australian, a product of Sydney’s famed St Joseph’s College (Hunters Hill), banked 23 points in just his second League One outing, including two tries, as Voltex trailed by just two after 70 minutes before finally conceding.

Playing through champions Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi displaced Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks in second on the ladder after flattening their rivals 66-12 in Saturday’s second match.

Former Chiefs and Highlanders backrower Tom Florence scored four tries for the Shuttles in his fourth appearance since arriving from the ill-fated Major League Rugby outfit, New Orleans Gold, while also spending 10 minutes on the sidelines following an early yellow card.

Invercargill-born centre Chance Peni, who appeared for each of the Brumbies and Western Force in Super Rugby, now leads the try-scoring in the section with seven, after becoming the third player across the league to bag a hat-trick in the Shuttles’ 10-try demolition.

The only match in Division Three saw SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS outgun Kurita Water Gush Akishima 34-6, closing the gap on section leaders SkyActivs Hiroshima to four points.

Division Two

Saturday February 14
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 50, Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 38; at Osaka
Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi 66, Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks 12; at Aichi

Division Three

Sunday February 15
SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS 34, Kurita Water Gush Akishima 6; at Saitama